Mischievous
by emptyvessels
Summary: Prank war shenanigans, basically.


Inspired by a Tumblr prompt requested by rad Shruti (thesushimonster). I wasn't 100% sure on what "Mischief Managed" entailed exactly (Are they mischievous and being or in need of being managed? Are they managing mischief?), but this was pretty fun to write.

Oh, and I don't own SHIELD or any of these characters.

* * *

"Ready?" Fitz asked in a low whisper, turning to face Skye and sitting as closely as possible without touching her, confined by the tiny space in which they had stuffed themselves.

A sly smirk fell across Skye's mouth. She nodded slowly, biting her lip in the way she did when something amused her.

"Would you like to do the honors?" He asked, holding out the sleek tablet-like device.

Skye almost appeared taken aback by the level of trust he was instilling in her; normally, he wouldn't even let her touch one of his gadgets, let alone allow her to handle one.

"Why, it would literally be a privilege, Dr. Fitz," she replied, a hint of naughtiness in her tone that Fitz didn't quite know what to make of. She took the device from Fitz's hand. He hadn't even realized she started speaking again until she nudged him, his mind fixated on the way she'd said his name just then.

He shot her an apologetic look and smiled sheepishly, as if to ask, "could you repeat that, please?"

"What do I do, exactly? I don't want to accidentally blow something up," she said.

Fitz narrowed his eyes. "Why would I put such a setting on the D.W.A.R.F.s? I mean, really, Skye!" He snapped, almost forgetting to keep his voice down. He leaned closer to her, turning slightly so that he could see the screen himself and instructed her on what to do.

As if on cue, Ward stirred in his sleep, his tablet sliding off his lap and falling onto the open space next to him on the couch. Both Skye and Fitz silently swatted and shushed each other as they watched from their hiding spot in one of the small storage closets.

"Now," Fitz whispered near her ear. A part of him felt guilty for using such advanced technology – technology that took him ages to design and perfect – on nonsense such as childish prank, but not enough so to actually talk himself out of doing it.

A part of him also wished Jemma hadn't been needed at the Academy for some last minute biochem seminar – she would get such a kick out of messing with Ward; but he couldn't quite bring himself to complain about getting to spend some bonding time (some alone bonding time) with Skye. He would just have to fill her in on the whole thing later; perhaps have Skye hack into the security tapes to show her some video proof.

Skye activated one of the D.W.A.R.F.s, sending it off in Ward's direction. The two did their best to stifle their laugher as the bot hovered over Ward's head, lowering itself just enough so that it was just grazing the tip of his nose. Still asleep, the agent swatted at the air, as if it were a fly, and turned his head in the other direction. With guidance from Fitz, Skye commanded it to grip onto the pillow Ward was resting his head on and hit 'retrieve.' There was the soft 'thud' of Ward's head hitting the back of the couch followed by a low, drawn out groan coming from the newly-woken and irritated agent.

Logic told Fitz that he should probably fear for his life; once Ward spotted the D.W.A.R.F., he would no doubt connect the engineer to the crime, but he was too busy trying to choke back laughter. He turned to Skye, whose face was twisted into an expression of utter juvenile amusement, and listened on with her to the sound of Ward grumpily muttering swears under his breath.

"I'm gonna fucking… FITZ!" Ward shouted, finally noticing the device hovering mid-air.

"Abort mission! We've been made!" Fitz exclaimed, overenthusiastically gesturing with his arms, finally bursting out into a fit of laughter.

The closet door flew open and the two were faced with a fuming Ward. The image only caused Skye to laugh harder. She clutched at her sides, pressing her face into Fitz's shoulder. He tried his best to act like he didn't even notice, ignoring the physical contact as well as the slight tug in his chest.

He scowled. "How old are you two, seriously?"

"Oh my God," Skye said in between laughs, trying desperately to compose herself.

He mumbled something that sounded like "watch your backs" and stomped off in the direction of his bunk. Fitz and Skye slumped back into the wall, Skye still laughing into Fitz's shoulder, tears nearly staining his cable-knit sweater.

"I feel kind of bad," Skye finally said, sitting up straight. "That was too easy. I mean, we did target the man while he was asleep."

"Well then," Fitz responded, standing and straightening himself out, offering a hand to Skye, "we're just going to have to challenge ourselves next time."


End file.
